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CYRUS W.-BALDWlN, OF BOSTON, MvASSAC-HUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 72,958, datectDece'mber 31, v1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

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TO ALL` TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be it knciwn that I, CYRUs W. BALDWIN, of Boston, in the -county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Device or Instrument for Determining and Registering the Amount of a Flowing Liquid; and do hereby -declare the following to be a full, olea-Land exact description thereof, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of tiiisspecication, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section, and

Figure 2 a horizontal section of such invention;

Figure 3 being a vertical and transverse `section of it.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 arerespcctively end, top,.and side views of the sliding sleeve, to be hereinafter described.

One object of this invention is to produc'e an instrument or a. device for measuring and indicating the contents of a flowing liquid, under any conditions of such ilow of liquid, whether escaping in a large body, and under great or' little pressure, or escaping `drop by drop. Another object of the invention is to construct the apparatus in such manner asrto require no nice tting or grinding or high finishing of parts, and with no possibility of clandestine escape of liquid from it by leakage, the apparatus, under these conditions of things, being simple and cheap of construction. 4 'A v I y,

The invention consists in a hollow circular case or box, of suitable construction, divided at its centre into 1 two separate chambers, by an `elastic diaphragm, each of such chambers being constructed with an inlet and outlet-aperture or passage, the two outletsjcining in one -general. outlet, and-the inlet, in like manner, communicating with one general inlet or supply-throat, and provided with valves ,connected with the diaphragm, for allowing the liquid to alternately escape from one chamber and closing the escape from the opposite chamber, in the manner and under conditions as hereinafter explained. /v/M In the drawings above mentioned, Audenotes a circular case, constructed in two halves or sections,a each 'of which is formed with a central elongation or extension, c or d, for accommodation of a portion of the mechanism, the joint between such sections, a b, being sealed by the edge ofr an elastic-diaphragm, which is enclosed between the two, thus dividing the interior of the case A into two chambers,fg, of equal dimensions and capacities. The -enlargements, c or d, of each section, a or b, are hollow, and varea part ofthe chambers fand g, respectively, each enlargement having an attenuated passage oroutlet-port, 7L or z', formed in the metal composing it, and leading cut of it just below its cent-re, each of such passages 7L or z' joining at the bottom of the case in' a general ccntrnl outlet, j, below the diaphragme. Each chamber-,f or g, communicates at top, and above the diaphragm e, with a general central inlet or mouth, 7c, hy a port orpassage, l or m, made in or over' l the flange or metal supporting the diaphragm, such ports being alternately opened and closed by a spherical or l cylindrieal'valve, n, which lies loosely in a valve-chest,f2, formed within the siipply-pipe leading to the case A, and over the diaphragm e, and which plays alternately between 'the pas-sages lor m. The diaphragm c carries at each ofits opposite sides, and'ccntrally ofthe case A, and within the chambers f or g, a horizontal fork, o or o', the arrnsp'q of which straddlc 'a sleeve, o', sliding upon a horizontal rod, s, and supports such sleeve by means of slots t t, made in them,'in which are inserted pins u u, extending from opposite sides of the,Y i sleeve, thus' allowing of free reciprocating rectilinear movements of such sleeve upon the rod s to the extent oi the length of the lslots t t, the remaining necessary movements of the' sleeve o' being eflected by a. triangular 1 or other; proper-shaped wiper, v, fixed to its upper surface, against which a friction-roller, w, bears and acts, such roller being supported by a vibrating-arm, x, pirated to the upper wall or boundary of the extension CZ, the arm :c being depressed by a spring, y, placed over it, as represented in the drawings. The inner end of eaclrrod, s s', is pivoted to the lower extremity cfa vibrating-lever or tripper, e or ef,`wl1icl1 is supported at about its middle upon a fulcrnm, a', upheld by a. bracket, b', projecting from the'wallof cachcl1axnber,`f or g, the upper end of such trippers acting, in conjunction with thc spherical or cylindrical valve n, to throwit alternately` from one to the other of the ports Z or n1. Furthermore, the outer cnd of cach rod ss carries a ball or 'cylindrical valve, e', which, when such rod is at the extreme of its outward movement, lios over and closes the lport z'.

In describing the operation of the above-describccl apparatus, we will suppose the diaphragm c to be distended to its `furthest extent in one direction, or to the right, as shown in the drawings, and with the passage z', of the chamber g, closed by its valve c', the valve n being at this time against and closing the port Z leading to the opposite chamberf, and preventing-entrance of liquid thereto, while the port m leading to the chamber is'l open for the admission of' liquid, it boing of course understood that both chambers,f and g, areiillednnd main;` tained full of liquid, and that the passage or outlet h ot' the chamberf is open, and with its valvevand mechanism p to the extreme right of their movement, Upon opening the outletj of the apparatus, the liquid will begin to ilow into the chamber .'g, and simultaneously therewith begin to discharge from the chamberf, thus forcing tho diaphragme in the direction of the red arrow thereon, it being borne in mind that'the pins u u projecting from the sides of the sleeve r, (upon one sideor, half of the apparatus, or the right in the drawings.) are resting against the inner terminus of the slots t't. As the fork o is tixed'to the diaphragm, it moves with it, Iwithout actuating the sleeve r, until the outer ends of thel slots tt bring up against the pins uu, when the continued Amovement of the fork'will carry the sleeve r with it, sliding upon the rod s until such sleeve arrives at the point of union of the rod s and the vibrating-lever z, when it strikes such lever, and forces the rqd in the same direc. tion, and starte the valve o oil' its seat. At this point `the tringular wiper v has moved under and forced upward the roller w, until such roller rests upon the apexof thewiper. The force ot' the spring y, acting through the arm :v'and roller v, as a medium, throws the rod a suddenly inward to tho extreme ot' its movement.A At tho same time, by a like means, and with equal velocity, the ball ofthe opposite lohambcr f is'forced outward to the extremeof its movement, closes the passage h, and cuts otho flow of liquid from suoli chamborj', the move. ment of the rod s, atits extreme 'inwardmovemen`t, aotuatingthevibrating-lever z, and carrying it away from contact with the port m, at the same time that the lever z, in -the opposite Achamberf, strikes the valve n, and throws it suddenly in contact withl and closes tho 'port m,a n d consequently shuts oft' the flow of liquid to the chamber g, this net being simultaneous with the movement of the valves c and c. A. collar or shoulder,d, is fixed upon each rod s, in such manner as to bring up, when such rod is atits extreme inwardvposition, in contact with the outer end of the sleeve'r, for the purpose ofallowing such sleeveon its returnmovement7 to complete'the remaining Vmovement of the rod s, and cause theV valve c to close the port z'. The liquid now begins to ilow into the chamberf and through the inlet. Z, and at the same time to discharge `from the chamber g, through the passage z', and the diaphragme, by the pressure or movement of the liquid, begins to contract and move in the direction of the blue arrow thereon, the pins durci' the sleeve r being at this time at the extrme inner end ol` the slots t t ci' the fork o. 4The fork, by the action of the diaphragm, is moved outwardly, without actuating any of the mechanism, until the inner end of its slots tt bring up against the' pins du of the sleeve r, when it moves the sleeve in the same direction. This'moveme'nt of the sleeve r, by means of the collar d', carries the rod s iu the same direction with it, and until the rod v has mounted the inner incline of the wiper 'tl/,pand rests upon its`apex,'when the pressure oi the spring y upon the opposite inclinel of the wiper, completes ,the outward 4movement of the rod a witha sudden snap, and vthrows the valve c" upon and closes the passage z',

at the'sanie time forcing the upper end 'of the lever z inward, and throwing the valve n i'rom the port m, so as to close the port Z, the same movement also forcing the opposite rod e inward, and'opening thepassage It.

I As the mechanismsupon both sides of the diaphragm e are counterparts of each other, the above descriptin of their operation, although confined for the most part to one of them, will yet enablea good mecha-nic,

.with the aid of the accompanying drawings, to understand the invention perfectly, the drawings, in fact, in this respect, giving the most insight into the invention, and would alone enable him to understand and construct it. I vwould call attention to the fact, however, that the whole power of' the pressure of water upon, as well as that of the contraction of, the diaphragm itself operates to start the valves cc fromotl` their seats, which being accomplished, the movement of the liquid aids the spring y in completingtho movements of these valves or their supporting rods. It will be evident that the purpose of the slots tt in theV arms ot' the fork ois to allow of' the comparativolylong movements ofthc diaphragm, without 'actuating the valves c c until the proper time. Itv

may be found in practice desirable' to employ a cage or grid to confine the extreme outward movements of the elastic diaphragm, but experiments thus far made would show that this will not be necessary. The amount of liquid displaced by cach cxtreme movement or alternation of the diaphragm being ascertained, and the number of such movements registered by a suitable indicating-mechanism attached to the apparatus, enable thoquantity of liquid passing through it to be accurately noted;

A great obstacle to be sui-mounted heretofore, in experiments with liq'uid meters, have been the'diff'erences of pressure upon the liquid in different localities. My invention enables the liquid, under any condition of pressure, as before observed, to be measured accurately, and a drop'cannot escape that is not measured or registered. 'ff Another advantage of my invention, as before observed, consists in the fact vthat no nicefitting or adjustment ofthe parts or grinding of valve-seats is necessary, as tbe'entire apparatus is or may be made of cast metal,l with the exception of the elastic diaphragm e, and-the ballfvalves, which, preferably, are to be made of vulcanized India rubber. The only point at which leakage could occur is the joint between the two halves or sections ofthe case A, but as this joint ispcriectlyvsealed by the enelosurerof the elastic diaphragm, no escape of liquid at this point can possibly occur. Added to vthese is the important advantage that no wear which can come upon the mechanism will impair itsefliciency. I have contemplated constructing the apparatus, with 'the exception of the elastic diaphragm and the ball-valves, of the material known as hard rubber, in order to enable such apparatus or meter to be used for measuring acids, i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, isv

1. The combinatiomin a meter such asidescribed, with the valve-rods and valves for regulatingl tlic iiow of t the liquid through the meter, of the flexible diaphragm,1 and spring-devices, or their equivalents, for operating' the said valves, under'such an arrangement that, while the valves and valve-rods are partially actuated by the saiddiaphragm, they shall be caused to complete their movement in either direction by the'action of the said spring-devices, substantially in the manner set forth.

2. he combination, with the'exible diaphragm, slotted`i`orlzs o o', and slccvesr 1:', which carry the triangula): wipers, of the valves c" c2, valve-rods's s,` and spring-devices for completing the movement of thc said valves, in the manner and for'the purposes shown and specified. 3. The combination, with the exibie diaphragm, valves for closing the outlet-ports, and mechanism for actuating said' vlalvesl, ofthe vihratorymms z z, and valve n for closing the outlet-port, substantially as shown- Y and for thc purposes described.

4. The combination and arrangement, with the valves c c2 and n, and mechanism .for actuating the same, of the ports for the admission "and discharge of the liquid into and from the meter, substnntailyus herein shown and se't' forth.

C. W. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

EDWARD GRIFFITH, EDMUND H. HEWINs'. 

